Brake-beam support



c. F. HUNTOON.

BRAKE B EAM SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FlLqED JULY 11, 1921.

1,427,474, Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

CHARLES IE. HUNTOON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-BEAM SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F; HuN'rooN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident. oi Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake- Beam Supports. oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brake beams, and particularly to the supporting and guiding means which insure the desired radial motion of the brake heads toward and away from the car wheels during an application or release of the brakes. The objects ofthe invention are to provide additional supporting guiding means over the usual hangers, which additional supporting and guiding means is attached to the brake beam and extends upwardly over the spring plank in order to avoid the objections to third suspensions or additional supporting means for the brake beams which necessitate projections below the spring plank and are dangerous in case there is an obstruction between the rails such as a bent or broken tie 'or crossing plank. A further purpose of the invention is to simplify the design of such additional suspending and guiding means for the brake beam. and to utilize the spring plank as a support over which such additional supporting and guiding means is movable.

T he objects of the invention are accomplished by the device shown in the-accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a brake beam provided with the present improvements.

Figure 2 is an end view, taken from the left of Figure 1, and showingpart of the spring plank and the compression member in section for the sake of deafness.

The brake beam illustrated is of standard I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11,

Patented Aug. 29, 192%,

1921. Serial No. 483,334.

vertical flange of the sprin plank ad'acent the brake beam. By this co iistructiongwhen the brake beam moves toward or away from the car wheels, the beam in swinging from its hanger supports, is guided about the addit onal suspending means so as to have the desired pivotal action around the hangers in order that the brake-shoes move radiallv of the wheels. If one of the usual hangers becomes broken, the additional supports ex tending over the spring plank prevents the beam from falling.

Referring to the drawings, the brake beam is shown as including the usual strut 1, compression member 2, tension member 3. and brake heads 4. The brake beam is suspended by means of the usual swingable hangers, 5, shown partly broken away in the drawing. These hangers at their lower end are pivotally connected with the brake heads, and, therefore, the brake beam may have a slight pivotal motion on its hanger support, and, therefore, need not move away and toward the wheels in an are which is not radial to the axes of the wheels. The sprmgplankof usual design is indicated bv the numeral 6. Projecting over the spring planlepreferably near each end of the brake lfieam 1s a ot-hook shaped supporting memer 4. around the compression member 2 at its outer end 8 and is securely clamped to the compression member by the bolt 9. The inner slightly curved portion 10 of each add tional support '4', passes through an aperture 11 in a guide 12, riveted to the vertical flange of the spring plank. The curved shape of the support 7 and its engagement with the guide 12. insures the necessary slight pivotal motion of the brake beam on hanger 5 when the brake beam is swung be tween the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 2.

In the operation of the device, a movement of the brake beam in an application or release of the brakes, results in the brake-shoes maintaining parallelism with the wheel tires, due to the fact that the additional supports are properly guided over thefspring plank 6. These additional supports, as designed, do not require any dangerous downwardly projecting parts, or necessitate unsafe wear on any part of the mechanism, and are readily replaceable if injured.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and T'is additional support is yoked tit? described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may plank, an additional support and guide for the brake beam, said additional support and guide being movable with the brake beam and projecting therefrom to be slidable over the spring plank.

2. In a railway car, a brake beam provided with brake-shoe heads at its ends, hanger supports for the beam, a spring plank, additional supports and guides for the brake beam located between the center and ends ofi'the brake beam and movable with-the brake beam, means on said spring plank for slidably supporting said additional supports and guides, and said additional supports and guides being formed to project over the spring plank for sliding engagement with said means.

3. In a railway car, a brake beam promam-7e vided with brake-shoe heads at its ends, hanger supports for the beam, a spring plank, an additional support and guide clamped, to thebrake beam, said additional support and guide being movable with the brake beam and projecting therefrom to be slidable over the spring plank.

4. In a railway car, a brake beam provided with brake-shoe heads at its ends, hanger supports for the beam, a spring plank, a guide secured to the spring plank, and an additional support and guide for the brake beam rigid with the brake beam and slidably engaging said guide on the spring plank. I

5. In a railway car, a brake beam provided with brake shoe heads at its ends, hanger supports for the beam, a spring plank, apertured guides secured to the spring lank, and additional supports and guides for the beam movable with the beam and slidably projecting through said apertured guides on the spring plank.

Signed at Chicago this 18th day of June, 1921.

CHARLES F. HUNTOON. 

